Washing machine



W. F. BLAKE WASHING MACHINE Oct. 27, 1936.

Filed Aug. 16, 1955 Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFIQE WASHING MACHINE William F. Blake, South Pasadena, Calif.

Application August 16, 1935, Serial No. 36,567

10 Claims. (01. 259-401) My invention relates to improvements in washing machines in which a round tub has a reciprocating cylindrical ring carrying agitator blades operating inside the tub; and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide a washing machine that cleanses garments quickly and efficiently; second, to construct a machine that will wash thoroughly without twisting or tearing the garments; and third, to provide a washing machine that agitates the water, soap, and clothes thoroughly in combination without complicated mechanism inside the tub.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which-- Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the outer tub and inner agitating ring.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of same.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the movable projection and agitator blade.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the agitator and its top deflector housing.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the agitator taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line 66 of Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. l, l is the outer tub of a washing machine, 2 is the cylindrical ring agitator, and 3 is the center post.

The cylindrical ring agitator is made up of the wide metal ring '4, having hollow agitator blades 5 mounted on its inner periphery, the cross arm 6 fastened across the center of the ring 4 at its top, with suitable means as at I to mount it upon the center post 3. The agitator blades 5 have a vertically movable projection 8 at their lower portion and a housing or water deflector cap 9 over the top as shown in Fig. 2.

The front wall of agitator blade 5 has a slot l0 extending about two thirds of its length in which the projection 8 can be moved up or down. The

projection 8 has cleats ll projecting from its rear edge which catch back of a rib l2 within the blade 5 to prevent projection 8 from being pulled out of blade 5, and a spring [3 arranged between the cleats II and the wall of blade 5 prevents noise and dropping when the projection 8 has been elevated. The cap or housing 9 is fastened to wall of ring 4 and to top of blade 5 to prevent splashing of water.

In the practical operation of my washing machine, water and soap are placed within the tub filling it to about two thirds of its depth, then the garments are placed inside the ring agitator. This agitator is then moved reciprocally inside the tub by suitable means as by lever and gears as shown at M in Fig. 1.

When the ring agitator is moved it starts the clothes and water in one direction and when the movement is reversed they start in the opposite direction. Thus gentle and continuous agitation of the clothes and water is created without vibration of tub and little power is required as there is no strain on the mechanism.

The. amount of agitation can be determined by the movement of the projections in the agitator blades, moving them up, if Washing many clothes, 6 or down if washing a few, or having some up and some of the blades down.

The agitator ring is open at the bottom and the weight of clothes and water is on the outside tub. Thus the ring agitator carries no weight 15 but just agitates the clothes and water. The open top allowsclothing to be easily taken out of the tub. The water deflectors are not in the way but do prevent water splashing on the floor or operator. The opposing currents of water set up by the one action and the immediate reverse action prevent clothes from twisting or winding about the center post or blades.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a washing machine, a tub, a ring mounted for reciprocating rotary movement within said tub, Vertically disposed agitator blades mounted on the inner face of said ring and members mounted for vertical adjustment on said blades and projecting inwardly therefrom toward the center of the tub.

2. In a washing machine, a tub, a ring mounted for reciprocating rotary movement within said tub, vertically disposed agitator blades mounted on the inner face of said ring, members mounted for vertical adjustment on said blades and projecting inwardly therefrom toward the center of the tub and tension springs 40 arranged between said blades and vertically adjustable members.

3. In a washing machine, a tub, a ring mounted for reciprocating rotary movement within said tub, vertically disposed agitator 45 blades mounted on the inner face of said ring, members mounted for vertical adjustment on said blades and projecting inwardly therefrom toward the center of the tub and water deflectors carried by the upper portions of said blades. 50

4. In a washing machine, a tub, a ring mounted for reciprocating rotary movement within said tub, vertically disposed agitator blades mounted on the inner face of said ring, members mounted for vertical adjustment on said blades and pro- 55 jecting inwardly therefrom toward the center of the tub, tension springs arranged between said blades and vertically adjustable members and water deflectors carried by the upper portions of said blades.

5. In a washing machine, a tub, a post projecting upwardly from the bottom of said tub, means for imparting reciprocating rotary movement to said post, a ring carried by said post and concentrically disposed within said tub, vertically disposed agitator blades mounted on the inner face of said ring and members mounted for vertical adjustment on said blades and projecting inwardly therefrom toward the center of the tub.

6. In a washing machine, a tub, a post projecting upwardly from the bottom of said tub, means for imparting reciprocating rotary movement to said post, a ring carried by said post and concentrically disposed within said tub, vertically disposed agitator blades mounted on the inner face of said ring, members mounted for vertical adjustment on said blades and projecting inwardly therefrom toward the center of the tub and tension springs arranged between said blades and vertically adjustable members.

7. In a washing machine, a tub, a post projecting upwardly from the bottom of said tub, means for imparting reciprocating rotary movement to said post, a ring carried by said post and concentrically disposed within said tub, vertically disposed agitator blades mounted on the inner face of said ring, members mounted for vertical adjustment on said blades and projecting inwardly therefrom toward the center of the tub and water deflectors carried by the upper portions of said blades.

8. In a washing machine, a tub, a ring mounted for reciprocating rotary movement within said tub, a vertically disposed hollow agitator blade mounted on the inner face of said ring, said blade being provided with a vertically disposed slot and a member mounted for sliding movement in said slot and projecting from the blade toward the center of the ring.

9. In a washing machine, a tub, a ring mounted for reciprocating rotary movement within said tub, a vertically disposed hollow agitator blade mounted on the inner face of said ring, said blade being provided with a vertically disposed slot, a member mounted for sliding movement in said slot and projecting from the blade toward the center of the ring and a tension spring carried by said member and engaging one of the walls of the blades to hold said member in differently adjusted vertical positions.

10. In a washing machine, a ring mounted for reciprocating rotary movement, an agitator blade vertically disposed on the inner surface of said ring, a water deflector positioned above said agitator and a member mounted for vertical adjustment on said blade and projecting inwardly therefrom toward the center of the ring.

WILLIAM F. BLAKE. 

